91 240sx : Car wont start after shorting cluster wires.

[will83]

posted this in 240sx tech...dont know which is the correct spot.I sparked a couple wires putting my cluster in and then the car wouldnt start. I put a jumper wire across the inhibitor relay and it starts up fine. So i went to nissan and bought a brand new relay, plugged it in, and it still wont start (doesnt even turn over) Im thinking something else is obviously shorted...any help appreciated..thanks

[NISTECH]

Year and model car??

[will83]

my bad man, 1991 Nissan 240sx SE I guess I assume people can read my mind.

[NISTECH]

If its a stick reach down by the clutch pedal ond pus the switch by hand and see if it will start [ make sure your in nuetral first] If its an auto post back.

[will83]

it still wouldnt start, also ever since this has been going on the headlights have been acting up. from time to time they will stay up and not go back down. I'm assuming my problem is the box that houses the relay's for the clutch and the headlights... what do you think? It is a 5 speed by the way, with an analog cluster swap (with subharness and all that... also the odo. and trip. do not work but I believe thats a seperate issue)

[NISTECH]

Do you have any idea what color wires you shorted? Also incase you havent already check all your fuses , both in the car and under the hood.

[will83]

No. When I pulled out my digital cluster I accidentaly touched it to the steering column and it sparked. Then I installed the new analog cluster and the car would not start. All my fuses checked out fine, so I pulled out the inhibitor relay and ran a jumper wire across the plug and the car started. So I assumed the inhibitor relay was bad so i replaced it with a new one from nissan. The car still will not start with the relay plugged in...but will start with a jumper wire placed across it. thanks

[NISTECH]

interlock relay [relay your talking about] gets its power on both sides from the same source, the ignition switch. then the other 2 lines go as follows. one goes to your starter and the other goes to the clutch switch and then to ground. obviously since you can jump the circuit to the starter you know 3 of the 4 lines are ok. so that leaves the one circuit going to the clutch switch. go down there and jump the switch with a paper clip or some sort of jumper, unplug it and jump the connector. if it starts you got a bad clutch switch. if not jumper the brown with white wire in the connector to a good body ground. If it starts now you have an open circuit in the ground side of the switch circuit. If it still doesnt start you have an open between the clutch switch and the interlock relay terminal with the brown and white wire. Use an ohm meter to check continuity from the relay to the clutch switch.

This is all based on the fact you jumped the power in the relay connector to the starter circuit in the relay connector.

[will83]

I will try that tonight, thanks for your help.